The opulence of a Javanese palace greets guests at the Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa at the Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel in Whistler.

The opulence of a Javanese palace greets guests at the Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa at the Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel in Whistler.

Cutting through the lodge, with its neat West Coast architecture of cedar and stone, visitors to Taman Sari are hit with a blast of delicious smells as they enter. Spices and citrus mix with mahogany at this authentic Indonesian spa, while the carved lattice woodwork and earth-toned décor recall this tropical Asian country with its 17,000 islands.

Jamu -- traditional Indonesian herbal medicine -- is at the core of Taman Sari's philosophy of how Javanese culture respects nature as the main source of food and medicine for all life. At Taman Sari, they try to promote these traditional practices.

Whistler was selected as home to the first, and so far only, Taman Sari in North America by international spa and beauty products company PT Mustika Ratu, which was founded by Indonesian noblewoman Mooryati Soedibyo. She says her aim is to take guests beyond the palace walls and into a new world of pampering. There are sister spas to the Whistler location around the world, including in Europe and the Middle East.

The spa's signature treatment is The Jamu, 90 heavenly minutes of Indonesian massage with Asian-style spice-and-oil combinations using vetiver grass, ginger, lemongrass, and ylang-ylang. By the time the top-to-toe massage is complete, a treatment aimed to improve blood circulation and soothe tired muscles, visitors are sure to be soothed by a heavy aroma of spices.

Other treatments have such inviting names as Royal Javanese Pampering, Minaka Praja, and the regal-sounding Royal Essential Touch. Couples are catered to, with a special his-and-her honeymoon massage day available. The Honeymoon Package is four hours of body wraps, facials, and sensual massages.

And, of course, after such a unique treat, guests are still in the resort of Whistler, with its skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and golf, hiking and biking in the summer. The resort is home to many excellent hotels and restaurants, so a trip to Taman Sari can be part of a longer stay, or a day trip if you are within driving distance. Either way, this spa is a little piece of Indonesia in a world-class Canadian resort experience.

Turkey and North Africa are the inspirations behind this popular steam bath spa, the first of its type in Canada, which opened in 2000. Hammam and Gommage -- steam and exfoliation -- have been in use since the Roman and Byzantine eras, with the heated and humid air thought to hold healing properties.

Miraj's "medina" area has mosaic tiles and large Jerusalem gold marble slabs for guests to lie on and sweat it out, with a hot water and steam mist and massage session. After an initial shower, guests are lathered with soap, massaged and sloughed to open pours and release tension, and then given a head-to-toe massage with fragrant oils that evoke the south-eastern Mediterranean.

Post-massage treatments following hamman and gommage can last from 15 to 90 minutes, and facials are also offered.

Luxuriate afterwards in the Sultana Lounge with tea and sweet cakes. There are men and women-only sessions, and groups can book together. Couples and singles are also very welcome.

Inspired by traditional Thai massage, Sabai offers 10 diverse styles of massage ranging from 60 to 120 minutes, along with skin cleansing and purifying treatments, body wraps and beauty treatments. Thai massage techniques incorporate stretching, palming and the manipulation of pressure points over the whole body and its 10 main energy channels, or "Sen" lines. The result? Blocked energy is released and awareness, recovery and vitality are increased for the guest. Herbal compresses play a role in some massages, as do exotic oils.

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